1835 Speaker of the British House of Commons election

The 1835 election of the Speaker of the House of Commons occurred on 19 February 1835.[1][2]

19 February 1835

Candidate James Abercromby Sir Charles Manners-Sutton Party Whig Speaker Popular vote 316 306 Percentage 50.8% 49.2% Candidate's seat Edinburgh Cambridge University

Speaker before election Sir Charles Manners-Sutton Elected Speaker James Abercromby

Sir Charles Manners-Sutton, Speaker since 1817, was seeking an eighth term in office. He was proposed by Lord Francis Egerton and seconded by Sir Charles Burrell.

The Whigs objected to Manners-Sutton's Tory partisanship.[3]

James Abercromby was proposed by William Denison and seconded by William Ord.

Both candidates addressed the House. Manners-Sutton denied the three charges of partisanship against him – that he had obstructed the previous Whig government, assisted in the formation of the new Conservative government, and had advised that the previous Parliament be dissolved.[1]

A debate followed.

The motion "That the Right Hon. Sir Charles Manners Sutton do take the Chair of this House as Speaker" was defeated by 306 votes to 316, a majority of 10. The amended motion "That the Right Hon. James Abercromby do take the Chair of this House as Speaker" was then passed without division.[2]

This was the only Speaker election since 1780 in which the incumbent Speaker was defeated. The elections of 1833 and 1835 were the only elections since 1780 in which an incumbent Speaker seeking re-election was opposed.

References

1. "Choice of a Speaker". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 26. House of Commons. 19 February 1835. col. 3–59.
2. Journals of the House of Commons. 90. 1835. pp. 4–5.
3. Barker, G. F. R. (1893). "Manners-Sutton, Charles (1780-1845)" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 36. London: Smith, Elder & Co.